The present invention relates generally to seating units, and more particularly to recliner chairs.
One furniture style that has become popular in recent years is the xe2x80x9coff-the-floorxe2x80x9d style, which is of European origin. A typical off-the-floor chair has a base with a central pedestal or a pair of arms that extends upwardly therefrom upon which the seat and backrest are supported. The seat, backrest and arms are commonly rather thin and sleek in profile. In typical off-the-floor chairs, the seat is mounted between about 6 and 12 inches above the floor. The sleekness of the seat and backrest profile and the height of the seat above the floor endow the chair with an attractive contemporary appearance.
In many off-the-floor models, the seat is able to swivel (i.e, rotate about a vertical axis) relative to the base and, in some instances, the seat and backrest can tilt as a unit relative to the base. In other units, the backrest and seat are capable of pivoting relative to one another, so that the occupant can more fully recline. The components that control this movement are typically relatively simple, incorporating a single pivot point between the backrest and seat and employing an adjustable pneumatic cylinder to control the resistance to reclining. Often the chair is sold with a separate ottoman that can be positioned forward of the seat to support the occupant""s feet when the chair is tilted or reclined. An exemplary chair is available under the trade name STRESSLESS(copyright) by Ekornes, Inc., Somerset, N.J.
The tilting or reclining movement of the type of off-the-floor chair described above does not conform to the movements of traditional recliner chairs, which move between discrete positions and typically include an attached extendable footrest. Conventionally, a recliner chair will move from an upright position, in which the backrest is generally upright, to one or more reclined positions. The movement of the seating unit between the upright and reclined positions is typically controlled by a pair of synchronized reclining mechanisms that are attached to the seat, backrest and base of the chair.
One particularly popular recliner is the xe2x80x9cthree-wayxe2x80x9d recliner, which has two reclined positions: a xe2x80x9cTV positionxe2x80x9d, in which the footrest or ottoman of the chair is projected forwardly from the chair while the backrest remains substantially upright; and a xe2x80x9cfully reclined positionxe2x80x9d, in which the backrest is less upright (i.e., it has been reclined to a shallower angle relative to the floor). In a xe2x80x9cthree-wayxe2x80x9d recliner, the backrest pivots relative to the seat as the chair takes its fully reclined position; this differs from a xe2x80x9ctwo-wayxe2x80x9d recliner, in which the backrest and seat are rigidly fixed and do not pivot relative to one another as the chair moves to the fully reclined position.
Many recliner chairs, particularly older models, have been rather bulky. In many instances, the bulk of the chair was necessary or desirable to cover the reclining mechanism when the chair was in the upright position. However, as exemplified above, in some instances it has now become desirable to incorporate a less bulky look into furniture, so designers of recliner chairs have responded with designs intended to present a more contemporary look. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,444 to Rogers, Jr. illustrates a three-way recliner with a xe2x80x9cwrap-aroundxe2x80x9d upholstery layer. The upholstery layer is attached at one end to the rear portion of the seat and at its other end to the front end of the footrest. In the upright position, the footrest folds under the front portion of the seat in a generally horizontal disposition, such that the upholstery layer covers the upper surface of the seat, the lower surface of the footrest, and the front surface of the chair between the seat and the footrest.
One difficulty presented with chairs of the xe2x80x9cwrap-aroundxe2x80x9d style is the tendency of the upholstery layer to bunch or stretch when the footrest is moved to an extended position. This can occur when the xe2x80x9cwrap-aroundxe2x80x9d distance between the footrest and the seat changes depending on whether the footrest is in the extended or retracted position. One approach to solving this problem involves the use of elastic material sewn into the upholstery pad, which enables the upholstery to stretch or contract as necessary. Of course, this approach can increase the cost of manufacturing the chair. Another approach is to include more than one footrest board, such that the upholstery layer is attached to one or the other of the footrest boards, but not both. This approach is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,094 to Rogers, Jr., which illustrates three different recliner xe2x80x9cwrap-aroundxe2x80x9d chairs. None of the chairs illustrated therein are off-the-floor chairs of the style described above.
It would be desirable to provide an off-the-floor chair with reclining capability, and in particular to provide a chair that can move to discrete reclined positions, while retaining the attributes of the desirable off-the-floor appearance.
The present invention can address some of the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a wrap-around recliner chair with an off-the-floor style. A chair of the present invention comprises: a base configured to rest on an underlying surface; a swivel unit attached to the base; a chassis assembly mounted to the base; an arm member mounted above the base and to the chassis assembly; a seat having a seat frame, a lowermost portion of the seat frame being located at least 6 inches from the underlying surface; a backrest; an intermediate ottoman; a front ottoman; and a pair of reclining mechanisms mounted to the chassis assembly, the seat and the backrest. The reclining mechanisms are configured to move the seat and backrest relative to the base between:
(a) an upright position, in which the backrest is generally upright, the seat is positioned above the base in a first position and forms a first angle with the backrest, the intermediate ottoman is disposed generally vertically and serves as a front portion of the chair, and the front ottoman is disposed generally horizontally below the seat and rearward of the intermediate ottoman;
(b) a TV position, in which the front ottoman is generally horizontally disposed and inverted from its disposition in the upright position forward of the seat, the intermediate ottoman is generally horizontally disposed between the front ottoman and the seat, and the seat has moved to second position rearwardly from the first position, and the backrest and seat form a second angle that is substantially equal to the first angle; and
(c) a fully reclined position, in which the front and intermediate ottomans remain generally horizontally disposed forward of the seat, the seat moves to a third position that is upward from the second position, and the backrest has pivoted relative to the seat such that a third angle formed by the backrest and the seat is greater than the second angle.
The chassis assembly has a first longitudinal dimension. The arm member has a horizontal run and two upright runs. The horizontal run is positioned above and in non-contacting relationship with the underlying surface. Each of the upright runs has a second longitudinal dimension (in this embodiment, preferably between about 3 and 8 inches) that is greater than or substantially equal to the first dimension. The upright runs are positioned relative to the chassis assembly such that the chassis assembly is substantially hidden thereby in side view.
In one embodiment, the chassis assembly has a longitudinal dimension of between about 3 and 8 inches, and the upright runs have a longitudinal dimension of between about 3 and 8 inches. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the seat frame have a lowermost portion that is located between about 6 and 10 inches above the underlying surface.
In another embodiment, the reclining mechanisms include: a seat mounting bracket attached to the seat frame; front and rear ottoman extension links pivotally attached to the seat mounting bracket; upper and lower ottoman extension links pivotally attached to, respectively, the rear and front ottoman swing links; an intermediate ottoman drive link pivotally attached to the upper ottoman extension link; and an intermediate ottoman bracket pivotally attached to the lower ottoman extension link and to the intermediate ottoman drive link and mounted to the intermediate ottoman, wherein the upper and lower ottoman extension links are pivotally attached to each other. The reclining mechanisms also include a front ottoman carrier link pivotally attached with the upper and lower ottoman extension links, a front ottoman bracket pivotally attached to the front ottoman carrier link and fixed to the front ottoman, and a front ottoman drive link pivotally attached to the lower ottoman extension link and to the front ottoman bracket. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the intermediate ottoman has a first length, the front ottoman has a second length, and the second length is greater than the first length.
As another aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned chassis assembly is adapted to interconnect a chair base with a pair of reclining mechanisms and includes: a pair of longitudinally-extending lower tube segments; a pair of transversely-extending upper tube segments fixedly mounted upon the lower tube segments; a lower plate fixedly mounted to and below the upper tube segments; and an upper plate fixedly mounted to and above said upper tube segments. The upper and lower plates are adapted to be fixedly mounted to the chair base, and the upper tube segments are adapted to be mounted beneath the pair of reclining mechanisms. In this configuration, the chassis assembly can provide a strong and stable interconnection between the base and the reclining mechanisms and remain substantially obscured from view by an arm member of the chair.
With one or more of the aforementioned aspects, the present invention can provide a chair that has aesthetic appeal and contemporary style, yet also has the function of a three-way recliner chair. Wrap-around upholstery can be attached without the need for components that compensate for stretching or bunching of the upholstery. The reclining mechanisms can be substantially obscured by the side rails of the seat frame, thereby preserving the attractive appearance of the chair. The front and intermediate ottomans can provide comfortable support for the occupant""s legs and feet without the need for a separate footstool-type ottoman. Finally, the chassis assembly can by configured to provide attachment points for the reclining mechanisms without sacrificing chair style.